“Our life and the Back Beaches life is intertwined. A feather star sits at the top of my design, as they sometimes wash up on shore. They are a sight to see. They look dangerously beautiful, you want to touch them, but you don’t, as it’s very painful. Eugarie shells are a big part of our lives, since the beginning of time and still today. We use our eugaries in many different ways. My Mum still makes a broth into medicine for our colds and flues and it still tastes good, my favourite is eugarie curry and rice and bush lemons.

In the background of my print, lines depict the tide coming in and going out leaving behind sandlines. Large deep green kelp also washes upon the Ocean Beach and scattered eugarie shells sit on the beach lines. This design is very special to me it’s in my heart and soul.”

Belinda Close is a proud Quandamooka woman, with family connections to Gorenpul, Ngugi and Noonuccal clans of Quandamooka.

“I come from a long line of strong Quandamooka women, my apical line is from Grannie Nellie Ngari Kidgarie.” She has been painting since childhood, and is one of Salt Water Murris Quandamooka Inc. original members. Her practice draws inspiration from being a lifetime resident on Minjerribah and her childhood growing up at One Mile. Her art shares these memories, stories and experiences, “I paint my country/island and the stories that belong to home and I want to keep on painting because there is so much that I want to share and tell to the generations coming behind. I let the paintings tell my stories.[1]”